The Committee on National Statistics (CNSTAT) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine serves to help integrate the statistical and social sciences with the federal statistical and research community in order to improve the statistical methods and information on which public policy decisions are based. It carries out this mission not only through separately funded studies and workshops to review statistical agency programs and address such system-wide issues as protecting confidentiality while facilitating data access, but also through its continuing core operations, which are funded by a consortium of agencies. As core activities, the Committee selects areas for study, develops panels or workshops, selects participants, reviews study activities and reports, and widely disseminates study results. CNSTAT core activities also enable the committee members and staff to work with NIA staff to identify topics of future interest and to establish short-term and longer term priorities for project development. CNSTAT meets three times a year. In between meetings, it conducts its work through subcommittee actions via e-mail and conference calls.